162 COREESPONDENCE. 



information :— William Timbrell Elliott; James Eobey; William 

 Henry Spencer, M.A. Cantab.; John Shepherd.— King's College, 

 August 4, 1871. 



' The Lens ; ' a Quarterly Journal of Microscopy and the Allied 

 Natural Sciences : with the Transactions of the State Microscopical 

 Society of Illinois, is the title of a new journal which it is proposed 

 to publish in Chicago, America. The State Microscopical Society of 

 Illinois proposes to issue on the 1st of October next, the fii'st number 

 of a Scientific Journal, to be called ' The Lens.' While 'The Lens' 

 will be devoted chiefly to the interests of Microscopical Science, no 

 communication of value, relating to any department of Natui-al History, 

 will be excluded. Without trespassing on the fields so ably occupied 

 by ' Silliman's Journal ' and the ' American Naturalist,' the only publi- 

 cations of like character in the United States, the pages of ' The Lens ' 

 will contain : — 1. Original contributions consisting of papers read 

 before some Scientific Society, or communicated directly to the Journal ; 

 2. Original papers, elaborate or otherwise, illustrative of the Natural 

 Histcn-y of the Mississippi Valley, and the Far West ; 3. A comprehen- 

 sive resume of the latest foreign inquiries, and critical reviews, with 

 brief notices of the latest microscopical j)ublications in this country and 

 Eui'ope ; 4. Descriptions of all new forms of Microscopes and Micro- 

 scopic Apparatus ; and 5. Correspondence on matters of Histological 

 controversy. Contributions requiring illustration will be accompanied 

 by carefully-drawn plates, and the text will be printed on good paper 

 in clear and legible type, ' The Lens ' will be thoroughly scientific, 

 advanced and comprehensive, and will be issued luider the auspices, 

 and in the interests of this Society. The size of page, 8vo ; and each 

 number wdll contain at least 48 pages of reading matter. Terms, 8s. 

 per annum, in advance. In view of the fact that there are so few 

 journals published in America, in these interests, the cormnittee 

 hope for the strong support, both contributional and financial, of all 

 lovers of Science. Correspondence relating to the business manage- 

 ment of the Journal should be addressed, to Charles Adams, Secretary 

 of the Publishing Committee, 1000, Michigan Avenue, Chicago. All 

 other communications to the editor, S. A. Briggs, 177, Calumet Avenue, 

 Chicago. Officers of the Society : H. A. Johnson, M.D., Pres. ; S. A. 

 Briggs, 1st Vice-Pres. ; H. H. Babbock, 2nd Vice-Pres. ; Geo. M. Hig- 

 ginson. Treasurer ; O. S. Westcott, Sec. ; Charles Adams, Cor. Sec. ; 

 E. H. Sargent, Charles Biggs, Charles Adams, Publishing Committee. 



COEEESPONDENCE. 



Observations on Surirella gemma. 



Dear Sir, — The fact should not be lost sight of with regard to the 

 interpretation of the markings on Surirella gemma, that Mr. John 

 Mayall, in his paper " On Immersion Lenses and Test-Objects," pub- 



